Check-controlled mechanism.



L. 1. LE PONTOIS.

CHECK comnoueo MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-29.1912.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

o o o MW MM vg/y/ COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH 50., WASHINGTON, D. c.

L. 1. LE PONTOIS.

CHECK CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-29.1912.

1 AS2 701, Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 15.4

M25555.- ZXO/WZ COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO,

LEON J. LE PONTOIS, 0F LAKEWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN MULTINOLA A CORPORATION OF DELAVARE.

CHECK-CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEON J. Lu PONTOIS, a citizen of France, residing at Lakewood, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check-Controlled Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to check controlled mechanism and particularly to devices of thatcharacter utilized in making and breaking a contact for an electrical circuit.

More specifically the invention is used in conjunction with electrical motor driven mechanism for talking machines, and contemplates an electrical motor, a circuit therefor, and suitable check controlled mechanism for the circuit comprising a suitable chute for the check or coin with portions on each side of the chute connected to the two leads of the circuit, the circuit being closed through such portions by the check or coin; and further to mechanism cooperating with a driven part for holding the coin the proper length of time, and after the motor is start ed positively closing the circuit irrespective of the coin, so that during the operation of the talking machine the circuit is positively closed irrespective of the coin.

The invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth in the following description, drawings and claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a multi-record talking machine provided with the im proved coin controlled mechanism; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device showing portions in section; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the circuit closing device enlarged over Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a portion of the machine showing part of the gearing; Fig. 5 is a top planview; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the wiring; and Fig. 7 is a detail view.

In carrying out the invention any preferred form and construction of parts may be employed so long as they possess the necessary characteristics, but I have shown one form in the drawings which is highly efi'ective in operation, and in such embodiment, 1 represents a suitable framework of a talking machine of the multi-record type wherein the records are mounted upon chains 2 from which the records are transferred to the supporting mechanism 3 under the reproducer 4:- This mechanism is all operated and controlled from the shaft 5 in any suitable manner and this shaft 5 is driven from a motor 6 shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6, thesefeatures forming no part of the invention.

The mechanism forming the subject matter of this invention controls the operation of the motor so that the coin starts the rotation of the shaft 5 which through suitable mechanism positively closes the circuit independently of the check or coin. lhis mechanism consists of a bracket 7 secured to the framework 1 and provided with an outer plate portion 8 to which is secured a pair of guideways 9 and 10, these guideways being insulated from the plate by fiber strips 11 and 12. These two guideways form the opposed terminals of the electric circuit leading to the motor, so that when the circuit is completed between these two guideways 9 and 10, the motor is supplied with current. Both of these guideways 9 and 10 are provided with a check or coin recess 13 extending vertically in the edges thereof and these recesses are opposed to each other, as shown in Fig. 2. The guideway 10 is provided with a slot 1&- extending out to the outer edge for receiving upper and lower dogs 15 and 16, each of these dogs being mounted upon a pin 17 or 17 passing through-the dog and into suitable openings 18 through the guideway 10. Each of the pins 17 and 17 is provided with an annular shoulder 19 which engages in a countersunk opening 20 in the front portion of the guideway 10 and serves to hold the pin in place. The upper pin 17 extends out beyond the front of the guideway 10 and is there provided with a circuit closing lever 21 provided with a contact 22 adapted to engage another contact 23 mounted in a plunger 24 supported in a casing 25 secured to the 0pposite guideway and electrically connected thereto. The plunger 24: is provided with a reduced stem 26 and serves to thrust the plunger upward.

The dogs 15 and 16 are provided with operating arms 27' and 28 respectively, and the mechanism for shifting these dogs will now be described.

Swiveled in an opening in the end of the arm 27' is a rod 29 threaded into a fiber turn-buckle 30 and held in any adjusted position by means of a nut 31. The opposite end of the turn-buckle is threaded onto another rod 32 which is connected to a lever 33 pivoted in the bracket 3-1 secured to the frame 1. This lever 33 has an arm 35 extending into the path of a cam 36 rigidly secured tothe shaft 5. This cam 36 has a sharp shoulder or drop at 37, as shown. The other arm 28 of the lower dog is swiveled to a rod 38 threaded into a fiber turnbuckle 39. This turn-buckle has threaded into its opposite end a rod tl swiveled in a lever 42 also mounted upon the bracket 31 and provided with an arm l3 engaging the edge of the same cam 36. The arrangement of the depression forming the shoulder at 37 is such that when the arm 13 rests in the lowest point of the depression, the arm 35 is on the higher portion of the cam and for a brief interval both of the arms 4:3 and 35 are on the high portion of the cam, as will be later described. Secured to the guideways 9 and 10 and insulated therefrom is a suitable chute for the coin comprising side members 44. This chute leads the coin to the guideways 9 and 10 and presents it to the recesses 13.

The coin is discharged from the guideways 9 and 10 and is deposited in a suitable receptacle 45 provided with a tube 46 which extends to a point below the guideways. Suitable binding posts 17 and 418 are secured to the guideways 9 and 10 respectively.

Assuming that the motor is in a state of rest, the arm 43 is resting upon the high portion of the edge of the cam 36 and the arm 35 is in the depression having just dropped from the high portion into such depression. By this operation the dog 15 is out of the path the coin would take through the guideways 9 and 10 and the circuit closing lever has its contact out of engagement with the contact 23. The arm 43, however, by resting upon the high portion of the cam has shifted the dog 16 in a counter clockwise direction causing its upper end to lie in the path of a check or coin passing through the recesses 13 so that when a coin is inserted it passes down between the guideways 9 and 10 and engages the lower dog 16 with the result that the circuit is completed between the two guideways through the check or coin and the motor is started, and the mechanism is set in motion,

the shaft 5 and the cam 36 being rotated in a clockwise direction. When this cam 36 is rotating the arm 43 continues to travel on the high portion of the cam and the arm 35 is being raised gradually onto this high portion, with the result that the dog '15 and the circuit closing lever 21 are being shifted in a counter clockwise direction, causing the contact 22 of the circuit closing lever to engage the contact 23 and positively complete the circuit between the two guideways. This circuit is then established independently of the coin. This arrangement of the parts continues throughout the rotation of the cam to the point where the arm 43 drops oif of the high point of the cam into the recess 37 when the dog 16 is shifted in a clockwise direction and the coin is discharged from the chute. In the meantime if other coins have been deposited in the machine, they are held by the dog 15 and the operation continues setting up the same cycle of operation previously described, but if there be no other coin in the machine at the time the circuit is broken so far as the coin is concerned when it is dischargedby the dog 16 but the operation of the motor continues until the cam 36 has been rotated sufliciently to permit the arm 35 todrop intothe recess when the contact points 22 and'23 are quickly separated and the circuit is broken at this point. The motor then stops and is ready for further operation. 1'

In order to quickly release a check which becomes lodged or stuck in the guideways, the guideway 9 may be made in two parts, as shown in Fig. 3, with the forward partprovided with a lower slot 9 adapted to engage the shank of a. screw 49 threaded into the back portion of this guideway, the upper end of the front rail swinging on a screw 50 also threaded into the back half of this guideway 9. By this arrangement it will be seen that by loosening the screws 49 and 50 the lower end of the front half of the guideway 9 may be swung to the left so that the check may readily drop from between the guideways if itbe lodged and failed to discharge.

Although the check controlled mechanism I herein described may be applied to any type of machine requiring such mechanism, I have shown in the drawings in a more or less diagrammatic way, the connections between this check controlling circuit mechanism, the motor and the machine, and in this embodiment the motor-6 is provided with a pulley 51 which is to be connectedby a belt not shown with the pulley 52 which in this instance forms a part of the reproducing mechanism of the talking machine. This pulley 52 is mounted upon a shaft 53 carrying the record receiving cylinder 3 cooperating with the reproducer 4. Secured to the shaftv 53 is abeveled gear 5tmeshing with a'beveled pinion 55 mountedon a shaft 56 supported in the frame and extendgear 61 mounted on a shaft 62 supported in a bearing 63 secured to the frame. The opposite end of the shaft 62 is provided with a spur gear 64. meshing with a gear 65 mounted upon a counter shaft 66 supported in the frame and carrying a spur pinion. 67 meshing with a gear 68 mounted upon the shaft 5. The foregoing mechanism shows the gearing between the motor and the cam 36 which forms the driven part of the mechanism herein described.

In Fig. 6 a diagrammatic view of the wiring is shown, and in this figure 69 represents one of the main supply wires leading to a switch 70. In the switch 70 is a wire 71 passing through two lamps 72 in parallel and from thence to a line or wire 7 3 leading to the binding post of the guideway 9. The other incoming wire 74: leads direct to the motor 6, and a wire 7 5 connects the motor with the binding post of the righthand guideway 10. By this wiring it will be seen that the circuit when closed through the switch 70 is broken at the guideways unless a check completes the circuit at this point or unless the circuit closing lever 21 is in a position to positively close the circuit.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In check controlled mechanism, a motor, an electrical circuit therefor, a part driven by the motor, a check receiving element comprising two guideways for the check and insulated from each other and forming the terminals of the electric circuit for the motor, a suitable dog cooperating with the guideways for holding the check therein for a predetermined length of time, a circuit closing member adapted to bridge the two portions of the check receiving ele' ment and positively complete the circuit to the motor irrespective of the check and while it is held between the guideways, and means actuated by the driven part for operating said circuit closing member.

2. In check controlled mechanism, a motor, an electrical circuit therefor, a cam driven by the motor, a check receiving elc ment comprising two guideways for the check and insulated from each other and forming the terminals of the electric circuit for the motor, a suitable dog cooperating with the guideways for holding the checks therein for a predetermined length of time, a circuit closing member adapted to bridge the two portions of the check receiving element and positively complete the circuit to the motor irrespective of the check and while it is held between the guideways, and means actuated by the cam for operating said circuit closing member.

In check controlled mechanism, a motor, an electrical circuit therefor, a cam driven by the motor, a check receiving element comprising two guideways for the check and insulated from each other and forming the terminals of the electric circuit for the motor, a suitable dog cooperating with the guideways for holding the checks therein for a predetermined length of time, a circuit closing lever adapted to bridge the two portions of the check receiving element and positively complete the circuit to the motor irrespective of the check and while it is held between the guideways, and means actuated by the cam for operating said circuit closing member.

7 In check controlled mechanism, a motor, an electrical circuit therefor, a cam drivenby the motor, a check receiving element comprising two guideways for the check and insulated from each other and forming the terminals of the electric circuit for the motor, a suitable dog cooperating with the guideways for holding the checks therein for a predetermined length of time, a circuit closing lever operatively connected to the dog and adapted to bridge the two portions of the check receiving element and positively complete the circuit to the motor irrespective of the check, and means actuated by the cam for operating said circuit closing lever.

5. In check controlled mechanism, a motor, an electrical circuit therefor, a cam driven by the motor, a check receiving element comprising two guideways for the check and insulated from each other and forming the terminals of the electric circuit for the motor, a pair of dogs operated and controlled by said cam and cooperating with the guideways for holding the checks therein for a predetermined length of time, a circuit closing lever carried operatively connected with one of the dogs and adapted to bridge the two portions of the check receiving element and positively complete the circuit to the motor irrespective of the check, and means actuated by the cam for operating said circuit closing lever.

6; In check controlled mechanism, a motor, an electrical circuit therefor, a part driven by the motor, a check receiving element comprising two guideways for the check and insulated from each other and forming the terminals of the electric circuit for the motor, one of said guideways being movable to release the check, a suitable dog cooperating with the guideways for holding the check therein for a predetermined length of time, a check closing member adapted to bridge the two portions of the check receiving element and positively com- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature plete the circuit to the motor irrespective of in presence of two Witnesses as follows.

the check, means actuated by the driven part LEON J. LE PONTOIS. for operating said circuit closing member, Vvitnesses: 5 and means for holding the movable guide- 7 G50. FAR UHARSON,

way in place. G. H. TRESCH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, 1). C. 

